Best Keto Lemon Meringue Pie

This Keto lemon meringue pie has a delicious sharp lemon curd made with real lemon juice and layered with a crisp yet delicately light meringue topping. The combination of the almond sweet ‘fat-head’ dough shortcrust, tart filling, and toasty meringue is an irresistible after-dinner dessert that will impress your friends and family.

You can make this Keto pie recipe into mini individual lemon tarts with the option to serve it without the meringue frosting for a classic Keto lemon pie.

What is ‘sweet fat-head dough’?

Fathead dough is a Keto, low carb, and gluten-free dough that is made with a low carb flour like almond or coconut flour, or a mixture of both. Mozzarella is the key ingredient that gives this dough elasticity and structure, while cream cheese and egg help to bind the ingredients and give rise. It is a real staple for a Keto diet plan and very easy to make. Erythritol or your sweetener of choice is added to make this more suited for a sweet pie recipe.

Can you taste the mozzarella cheese?

No, you cannot taste any cheese. Mozzarella is a very mild cheese as it is, and with all the flavors from the sweet and tart lemon curd, it’s not noticeable. Mozzarella is great for binding the dough together and gives the crust a crisp base that is easy to roll thinly and handle without crumbling.

Can I adapt the recipe for different diets?

This recipe is naturally gluten-free and can be made dairy-free by substituting butter for a plant-based alternative or coconut oil.

How to store Keto lemon meringue pie?

You can make the Keto pie crust and lemon curd ahead of time. The base should be made a maximum of 2 days ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer for longer. The lemon curd should be cooled completely before transferring to an airtight container and stored in the fridge until ready to use. It will keep well for up to 2 weeks.

Any leftover assembled lemon meringue pie should be covered with aluminum foil or placed into an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pie can be reheated in the oven for 5 minutes to crisp up again and left to cool at room temperature before serving so the curd can reset. Lemon meringue pie is not suitable for freezing, as the pie will become soggy when thawed. You can freeze the crust and curd filling and then top with meringue when defrosted and ready to serve.

Hints and tips for your Keto lemon meringue pie:

Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature.

If you don’t have powdered erythritol, simply blend in a food processor or blender on high until powdered. Let the dust settle before opening the container.

Net Carbs

3.5 g
Fiber

2.9 g
Total Carbs

10.4 g
Protein

9 g
Fats

20.2 g

237 cals

Quantity

Serving Size

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Almond flour

2 cup
Coconut flour

0.25 cup
Erythritol Granulated

0.25 cup
Baking powder

0.5 tsp
Salt, sea salt

0.5 tsp
Raw egg

5 large
Grated Mozzarella

1 cup
Cream Cheese (Full Fat)

2 tbsp
Erythritol Granulated

0.25 cup
Lemon juice

2 each - juice from one lemon
Butter, unsalted

0.33 cup
Powdered Erythritol (Icing Sugar)

0.33 cup
Cream of tartar

0.25 tsp
Vanilla extract

1 tsp

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F/ 180°C. Add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, ¼ cup erythritol, and sea salt to a large bowl, and loosely mix through. Add the mozzarella and cream cheese in a heatproof bowl and place in the microwave for 1 minute on high until melted. Add 1 egg to the melted cheese and loosely give it a stir. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients then use your hands to knead until a ball of dough comes together. Flatten to a disc shape and transfer the dough between 2 sheets of baking paper. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to a disk approximately 1/4-inch / 6mm thickness, then peel off the top layer of baking paper.
Step 2

Transfer the crust to a 9-inch pie dish. Use a fork to prick the base in several places. Prebake the crust in the center of the oven for 12-15minutes or until just beginning to golden and crisp up. Allow it to fully cool. The crust needs to be cool before pouring in the curd filling otherwise the base will get soggy.
Step 3

Separate 2 eggs, place the whites into a small bowl, and reserve them for the meringue topping. Squeeze the juice from 2 large lemons. Add the remaining 2 whole eggs, 2 yolks, lemon juice, and erythritol into the top bowl of a double boiler/ bain-marie with an inch of water in the bottom saucepan. Whisk very well until combined.
Step 4

Place the saucepan over low heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and add the remaining 1/3 cup butter. Keep stirring until the butter has melted and the mixture has thickened to the texture of thick custard, about 10-15 minutes. Remove it from the heat, strain the lemon curd through a sieve into a bowl. Set it aside.
Step 5

While the crust is cooling, make the meringue topping. Add the leftover 2 egg whites to a large bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites until frothy then slowly add the powdered erythritol, cream of tartar, and vanilla extract, until stiff peaks form. If you want a larger peaked meringue topping, add 2 more egg whites, increasing to 4 whites in total.
Step 6

Preheat oven to 350°F/ 180°C. Spread the lemon curd into the pie crust about 2/3 full. Spoon the meringue topping over the pie, creating peaked textures with the back of the spoon or spatula. The meringue should completely cover the lemon curd center layer. Bake in the center of the oven for 5-7 minutes, until golden brown on top and crisp to the touch.